Dragon's Quest
by dArkliTe-sPirit
Summary: Raimundo's still with Jack, a month later. The warriors can't get him back, and he's beginning to become more dragonish. Then, the warriors get a message, calling them back to Rio, concerning their friend...Rated T for angst!hints of RaixKim FINISHED!
1. Raimundo's Snap

dl-sPirit: Hello! This is the sequel! Jack, Omi, and Rai are still on vacation, they'll be back next chapter. About the sequel: it's a bit darker than the last one.

Ferret: Disclaimer! dl-sPirit doesn't own 'Xiaolin Showdown'! She's back! Yea!

dl-sPirit: Thank you, Ferret. Here is the chapter!

* * *

Stupid Spicer. I just want to strangle him. I can't remember the last time he remembered that I need food too. I've had to live off of scraps that not even a dog would eat. I need to kill something. 

Maybe that's why he won't go within three feet of me. When he's not here, or when he's asleep, I'm in a fairly large cage. But size doesn't matter. The thing that does is freedom.

What happened to my friends? They swore to get me out. It's been a month now. I haven't seen them at all. As far as I know, there haven't been any new wu. Then again, I don't know where my friends are. What's taking so long? I'm only left with the darkness and Escuro.

Let me explain. Escuro's my dragon side, my dark half. Sometimes, he talks to me.Yeah, you're probably laughing or asking if I went insane. I haven't - not yet, anyways. If you thought I was sarcastic, you never met Escuro. He's pretty mean, but, hey, if it stops me from going insane, I'll talk to him.

I hear Wuya yelling something. A shen-gong-wu? Great. I can finally get out of this hell-hole for a bit. As Jack comes, one question repeats through my mind...

Will I see my friends? Are they still my friends?

(---)

Kimiko was on Dojo's back, with the rest of the warriors. They were looking over the scroll at the new shen-gong-wu. "The Cat's Eye. It can see through illusions," Omi read aloud. The other two weren't paying attention. They were wondering how Raimundo was. They had a reason to be worried. Jack had raised security to an all-time high over the month. They hadn't been able to get into Jack's house, much less see their friend.

"Ok, everyone, this as close I can get you," Dojo said, landing in a forest. Clay looked around. The animation had shown a necklace with a decorative design around a gem of some sort. "Dojo, could you tell us what it looks like?" Omi asked. Dojo answered, "Amber-colored, rather small..."

"And right there!" Kimiko interrupted, pointing to a patch of ground, with an anber-colored stone sticking up. Omi ran over and grabbed an end, only to find that someone had grabbed the other end. Everyone looked at their foe and gasped.

It was Raimundo. But Raimundo looked horrible. His skin was pale, with a light-blue tint, and his hair seemed a bit longer than usual, and it was no longer as spiky. They saw several bluish scales on his neck and arms. His eyes had dulled, and he seemed thinner and, well, more serpentine.

"I am sorry Raimundo, but I must challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown," Omi said resignatedly, "Your Thorn of Thunderbolt against my Eye of Dashi. The challenge is a race across the stones. First one to finish wins."

"Bring it," was Raimundo's cold response. Kimiko and Clay saw Wuya and Jack hovering overhead. They (Raimundo/Omi) both yelled,"Xiaolin Showdown!" Like usual, the scenery shifted. Omi's robes transformed into his robes while Raimundo, oddly enough, shifted into his armored-dragon form. "GONG YI TEMPAI!" they both yelled and the Showdown was on.

Omi and Raimundo were both evenly matched. Omi's light weight allowed him to jump from stone to stone easily. Raimundo's wings, though he didn't use then to fly, allowed him to skip several stones. As he landed on one, he shot a glance to Omi and rage he had never felt before welled up inside.

Yeah, friends. Where were they while he was stuck with Jack? They never came even once to check on him. They could've, but they chose not to. Great friends. They abandoned him. Before Raimundo realized it, he heard a voice call, "Thorn of Thunderbolt - Wind!" A lightning blast, accompanied by a wind funnel, hit Omi hard enough to knock him off his rock. It then hit Raimundo like a brick - he had the Thorn of Thunderbolt and the wind element. He had been the one to attack Omi.

The scenery shifted back to normal. Omi automatically lost because he couldn't complete the challenge. He didn't look too good. Raimundo returned to his form, with more scales on his arms. He didn't realize that he still had his dragon teeth, he only registered one fact: he attacked Omi.

"Well done," Jack said, snatching the shen-gong-wu from Raimundo. Raimundo growled in response, but did nothing else. "Let's go; evil won't get itself done," Wuya added as two Jack-bots picked up Raimundo and followed Jack and Wuya.

* * *

dl-sPirit: That's the first chapter for you! Quick notes: Escuro is porteguese for 'dark'. 

Ferret: Oh, Silver Satoshi Syoran, in case you didn't get the memo, you can borrow Raimundo -

dl-sPirit: But I want him back soon!

Ferret: Review!


	2. In Raimundo's Room

dl-sPirit: Hey, everyone! Rai isn't back yet, he went to Satoshi's, but everyone else is back.

Jack: All too true.

Omi: Why did Raimundo attack me?

Ferret: This is Raimundo we're talking about. Plus, dl-sPirit still remembers what you did to Raimundo, and I quote, 'Raimundo, you defeated Jack Spicer in the showdown, and you are not even an apprentice!'

Omi: And?

dl-sPirit: Forget it.

Jack: Yeah, he'll never catch on. Reviews, anyone?

_To celestial-gal_: Ferret: (shrugs) Beats me.

_To SaphireStars_: Jack: Do it and I'll-

Ferret: Did you forget the last time she lost Rai?

_To Elemental-Zero_: Omi: Here is your update!

_To Kosmic_: dl-sPirit: As much as I'd love that-

Jack: Hey!

dl-sPirit: -it's not possible. Remember the Xiaolin Showdown rules?

Omi: I do! 'You can be played for if you're over one-half wu and look kinda freakish'.

dl-sPirit: And even though Rai's beginning to look kinda freakish, he's not part wu. Sorry!

Ferret: Here's the chapter!

* * *

Omi, Kimiko, and Clay returned to the Xiaolin Temple, shocked by what Raimundo did. Did he really change that much? Anyways, Clay took Omi to the medical room while Kimiko went into Raimundo's room to meditate. 

Now that the brazilian was gone, his room was the quietest place in the temple. As she went in, the Dragon of Fire shuddered lightly. Only a month ago, she wanted to what Raimundo's room looked like. Now, she couldn't see how he was so carefree.

Like everyone else, his room had been blandly decorated at first with a mat, a dresser, and a mirror. Like everyone else, he had tweaked it. In one corner was a surfboard and the soccer ball he used so often. Hanging over his bed was Brazil's flag. Against a wall was a large locked trunk. Kimiko had tried to look into it with the Falcon's Eye, but, apparently, he had found something that the Falcon's Eye couldn't see through, and he had covered the trunk in it. But that wasn't what scared her.

Realistic, often gory, pictures hung on the walls, obviously done by Raimundo himself. Some of them looked like they were done in blood. One that always caught her eye was of a dragon falling into an abyss while three people were around a light. Kimiko guessed that the dragon represented Raimundo, the three people represented herself, Omi, and Clay, the abyss represented lonliness, and the light represented friendship. Though it was just a guess, Kimiko seemed to be able to sense the emotion coming from the pictures hanging up - mainly resentment, hatred, and loniness.

Looking at the mirror, you could see that - well, there wasn't any mirror anymore. The shards were still on the floor, and they were bloody. Kimiko definitely could figure out this one: Raimundo didn't like what he saw.

Under his mat was a notebook. She had looked through it. It was a bit of a journal, but, more often than not, Raimundo had written poems in there. Even though they were rarely dated, she could tell when some of them were written.

What truly scared Kimiko was on Raimundo's dresser and walls. On the dresser was an Exacto-knife, blood still on the blade. On the walls, well, she'd call it 'arterial spray'. Raimundo had been the one who had gotten her hooked on the show CSI:, which was where she had learned the term.

As Kimiko sat down on Raimundo's mat, she flashed back to the showdown. Raimundo's face had been filled with quiet fury and suffering, and his voice had been icy. But, after he attacked Omi, the brazilian seemed confused and upset, like he didn't know he had done it. Had he been that angry at them? She couldn't help but to flashback to another memory:

_--_

_Kimiko was waiting for Raimundo to get out of the shower. It was ironic: four dragons-in-training, one shower. "Raimundo! I'm waiting!" she yelled. "Ok, ok!" he yelled back. She heard the water being shut off, a bit of shuffling, and the door opened. "Ok, see?" he said. He had a towel around his waist, but that was it. The room was too small to change in. Kimiko glared slightly as he walked down the hall, and that was when she saw it._

_It was a scar, resembling a cresent moon somewhat, and too large to be a dog bite of any kind. "Rai? How'd you get that?" she asked. Raimundo stopped momentarily. "The scar?...a jaguar. I was attacked by a jaguar," he replied, then continued on his way to room._

_--_

How did she miss that? He had obviously lied, but she dismissed it, seeing it as 'unimportant'. Now, it was anything but. She heard a knock at the door. It was a habit they all had. Raimundo would lock himself into his room, and, if you needed to talk to him, he'd come out; you'd never go in.

"Hey, Kimiko?" It was Clay. Kimiko got up and left Raimundo's room, being careful not to let Clay see too much. "Yeah, Clay?" she asked back. Clay replied, "Well, we got a message from someone in Rio de Janeiro. Says he has something we need to see. Oh, and Omi's ok." Kimiko gave a sigh of relief. Well, at least Omi was ok. She had a feeling they knew this person...she didn't know how right she was.

* * *

Omi: Does Raimundo's room really look like that? 

dl-sPirit: In this fanfic, yeah.

Jack: Ouch.

Ferret: Quick notes- dl-sPirit doesn't own Xiaolin Showdown; she doesn't own _CSI,_ and the picture in the fourth paragraph is based on Elemental-Zero's fanfiction, _Reach for the Light, Rai!_ She doesn't own that, either.

Jack: Really? Didn't notice that.

Omi: Please review!


	3. What Wuya Found don't kill me!

dl-sPirit:(nervously) Uh, hey, I have chapter three here. Ferret's with DeafLizgon, trying to get Draio.I just need to let you know - it's sorta optional...DON'T KILL ME!

Omi: Why is she so nervous?

Jack: Well, this isn't really a Rai-fan chapter...

Omi: Oh. Was this why she kept throwing up last night?

dl-sPirit: Yeah. Well, you people know the disclaimer. Omi, Jack, answer the reviews while I go hide.

_To DeafLizgon_: Omi: Well, it didn't really take over. dl-sPirit says to watch out for it, though. It may. And she is pleased to hear that you areplanning another story.

_To Kosmic_: Jack: My cookie! (eats cookie)

_To Genna/celestial-gal_: Omi: Here is your update!

_To Kaisa_: Jack:...want some asprin?

_To Rave slave_: Omi: dl-sPirit says Raimundo will be ok in the end.

_To Satoshi Silver Syoran_: Jack: You're welcome. And actually, Escuro doesn't really look like Raimundo's dragon form.

Everyone: What!

Jack: dl-sPirit showed me a picture. He looks...weird.

Omi: o.0 Well, if you are a Raimundo fan and/or you have a weak stomach, dl-sPirit advises that you don't read this. Here it is...

(Jack and Omi run and hide)

* * *

Jack could only groan as he heard Raimundo. Choking, thrashing around; this was, what, the fifth time this month? Jack could scarcely believe that the collar was once again too tight. He turned to two of his robots; he had made them specifically for this job, after the second time. "You know what to do," he said before beginning work on an upgraded chameleon-bot. The robots nodded and hovered over to Raimundo's cage.

Inside, Raimundo was trying his hardest to breathe. Why did this keep happening? With the food he was getting, the collar should be getting looser, not tighter. But nothing made sense anymore to him, so what difference did it make? He saw one of the robots aim the dart gun at him and fire. The paralysis dart hit its mark and Raimundo went limp. The second robot opened the cage, loosened the collar, and got out and locked the cage again. The two robots flew back to Jack.

Jack waited about three minutes before he heard Raimundo's groan and him getting up. Jack shook his head. The first two times, Jack had tried numerous things to keep Raimundo still - sedatives, temporary paralysis darts, knockout gas - but it didn't work. Then, when Jack tried the long-lasting paralysis darts, it worked - for about three minutes. Jack's first thought was that he had been ripped off. But when he tested on on Katnappe, she had been stuck for about an hour, so that possibilty was ruled out. Jack's guess was that Raimundo had an immunity of some sort to the stuff.

Meanwhile, Wuya watched as Raimundo finally settled down in a corner of the cage. She was beginning to worry. Over the past month, he had seemed to become more submissive. She knew the brazilian - the only times he was submissive was when he either had a plan or if he was controlled by shen-gong-wu. She wondered if he had found a way to escape. There was one way to find out.

Making sure that he didn't notice, she shrunk down and went into Raimundo's mind. She noticed something right off the bat: Raimundo had sensed her and yet he seemed to not care. Last time Wuya had been in his mind, he had tried to block her. The heylin witch-ghost was surprised. Why didn't he even try to half-heartily block her. She began to dig through his memories.

Much to Wuya's disappointment, Raimundo's memories had been organized in a haphazard way. She sighed as she began her search. Most of the memories she had found at first were when he had betrayed his friends (and when he had returned), when he had learned that he couldn't go back with his friends, and when he had first become a were-dragon. Then, she found it.

The memory was an imagined one, she realized, but the details were so vivid, it almost passed for a real one. It was the abundance of shadows and their shapes that tipped Wuya off. She could imagine him as an artist. Yet, as she looked at the memory, well, if she had a stomach, she would've been sick to it. Only one word could describe it: gory.

It was of a boy. His face was hidden in the shadows.(A/N: if you get sick easily, leave now. I don't want to clean up any vomit) He had been slashed open completely, his insides hanging out somewhat. His windpipe had been torn away. His heart had been cut out, missing. Blood pooled around the body. People passed by, but none of them spared a passing glance to the corpse. A winged figure stood over the body, fangs and claws gleaming with crimson blood.

Even though his face was hidden in the shadows, Wuya recognized the boy in the "memory" - and if she could've fainted, she would have. She flew out of Raimundo's head and changed back to her normal size. It would be best to let Jack know. They couldn't let the "memory" become a reality.

The winged figure had been a dragon. The boy had been Raimundo.

* * *

dl-sPirit: Eh, that stunk. It was sorta to explain how Raimundo was doing.

Jack: 0.0 scary...

Omi: He wants to kill himself?

dl-sPirit: It's more like he knowsEscuro can kill him. Maybe I was too detailed...what do you think, Jack?...Jack? (hears retching noise) Aw, great.

Omi: Please review. And don't lynch dl-sPirit!


	4. Learning More

dl-sPirit: (looks around) Ok, it looks safe...I'm back.

Omi and Jack: (come out)

Ferret: BOO!

dl-sPirit, Omi, and Jack: GAAAAHHH! DON'T DO THAT!

Ferret: (chuckles) Well, since I scared you - and I took pictures -

Jack: Hey!

Ferret: - I'll do disclaimer. dl-sPirit only owns Escuro. Now, reviews!

_To SaphireStars_: dl-sPirit: Phew! Well, wouldn't you be worried if someone seemed to change overnight? (coupled with his odd appearance...) and, actually, that image's meaning is a little scarier than that. But, yeah, torturing our favorite brazilian seems to be so much fun...I wonder why?

_To Kosmic_: Jack: OW!

dl-sPirit, Omi, and Ferret: Yay, cookies! (eats cookies)

_To DeafLizgon_: Omi: dl-sPirit can't answer this because she is doing her 'joy dance'.

Ferret: You mean, 'happy dance'.

_To Kaisa_: dl-sPirit: Thank you for not killing me! Thank you for updating your story! Now I'm updating mine!

_To Rave Slave_: Jack: I'll say...

Ferret: Here is the chappie! w00t! (is all sugar-high from eating cookie in one bite)

* * *

Kimiko looked around as Dojo landed outside of Rio de Janeiro. Rai's hometown - will he ever see it again? Kimiko wondered sadly as Dojo shrank back to his four-foot size, and the three warriors walked into the town, wondering who had called them. Omi, however, had a very good idea. He ran to a building the four had all been in once - the one with the sign that read, 'Need to brush up on local tales, beasts, and legends? Ask here!' Clay grinned. Who else would've it been? The man was the only one who'd send them that message. Without second thoughts, everyone ran into the building. 

Inside, as Omi had correctly guessed, the elderly man was waiting for them. He gave a light smile before saying, "I see you received my message."

"Yeah, but how can you help us?" Kimiko asked. She paused. "And how come you contacted us?" The man replied, "I believe you know Vento as someone called 'Raimundo'. I did some research after you left. He was on an 'Evildoer' chat room. I saw the picture. I knew it was Vento. The person who had put it up also had your pictures up there."

"I don't even want'a know," Clay muttered. Kimiko guessed that whoever had put their pictures up, they had probably said some rather mean things about the warriors. Omi, remembering why they had come, asked, "How can you help us?"

"Remember the beast I told you about that bit your friend?" The man went to the back and pressed a button. This revealed a hidden door. He beckoned the warriors over and opened it enough so they could see what was inside. Kimiko gasped. In the room, laying down, was what appeared to be a dragon. It looked like Raimundo's dragon form, except that it seemed to be wearing blue jeans, its hind legs seemed too long, and it had a feathery plume. It was also black with blue eyes.

"The full-fledged dragon that bit your friend. Now, you need to know, were-dragons tend to hate humans, so we can't just go in there. However, it is said that the were-dragons know the cure for their condition, and a prophecy concerning a certain were-dragon. So, someone will have to talk to him..." the man started. Kimiko grabbed Dojo and asked, "Would he do?" The man shrugged in a 'go-for-it' way.

"Are you insane?" Dojo hissed. Kimiko hissed back, "You're a dragon. He wouldn't hurt you. Besides, you can supersize. I think that helps." Dojo thought this over, then remembered something...

--

_"Hey kid, you all right?" Dojo asked. It was a few weeks after Raimundo had come back to the Xiaolin side. Raimundo sighed._

_"Do you think I'm all right? I betrayed you all, I nearly got everyone killed, and I still transform!" he retorted quietly. Dojo held up his hands, ressponding, "Hey, it's ok. You just wanted to be normal. Well, sure you may have gone a bit overboard, but she did promise..." Dojo trailed off as Raimundo shot a glare._

_"It's not so much as that as...it felt like I was losing control of myself...like I was watching from the sidelines while someone else controlled my body," Raimundo paused. "I sound crazy, don't I?"_

_"Well, if you weren't a were-dragon...I'd have to say yeah," Dojo said slowly. He wondered if Wuya had done something when she went into his head. Raimundo sighed and looked off into the distance. "I'd give anything to be normal..."_

--

Raimundo had been so desperate then and, now, he was a slave to Jack. "Ok, I'm going in," Dojo murmured as he went into the room. The dragon looked up at Dojo and studied him momentarily.

"What might you be?" it asked. Dojo almost sweatdropped before he answered, "I'm a dragon named Dojo." The black dragon gave the green dragon a disbelieving look before saying, "Well, I'm a half-dragon called Necro. I've been alive for, oh, 160 years." Dojo's eyes went wide.

"What do you mean by 'half-dragon'? And how can you be that old?" he asked, shocked. Necro chuckled, saying, "I'm pretty much a were-dragon that fully developed. I'm only half-human now. And as for my age, it's not that impressive. The one before me died about five years ago. He was 200."

Dojo cleared his throat before saying, "Um, do you know about the new were-dragon?"

"Of course. I had to bite him. He didn't seem like anything too special, unlike me when I was bitten. I had been a captain of a Spanish ship. He seemed like the type who wouldn't be missed."

Dojo felt himself become quite angry. "For your information, what you did to that kid caused him to lose his family, shatter his dreams, and get him enslaved by an idiot who wants to rule the world!" Necro arched an eyebrow.

"Fine. Send me to hell. So what are you here for?" He noticed that Dojo seemed too angry to speak. "Hey, the prophecy described him as the one."

"What do you mean, 'the one'?" Dojo asked.

"He was born with a dragon spirit inside. I just awoke it. And it began to become stronger, oh, I don't know, about a year ago?" _That was when Raimundo went to the Heylin side,_ Dojo mused as Necro continued, "He's gonna be the only one left. Then he'll raise the dead creatures of myths, wipe out humans or turn them into were-dragons, and rule over a paradise."

Dojo stuttered. This was worse than he thought! Finally, he said, "Well, that kid doesn't want to rule, he wants to be normal!" Necro paused.

"He will be the last one. I'm nearing the end of my days. But there had been a rumored potion that, when placed in an amulet and put around a were-dragon's neck - not a half-dragon's -, it will destroy the dragon spirit," Necro started slowly.

"Keep talking, buster. I wanna know that prophecy, how to make the potion, and anything else that'll help," Dojo growled.

* * *

Jack: Whoa! Wipe out people or turn them into were-dragons? Scary! 

Omi: I agree...

Ferret: (in Detox) Lemme out!

dl-sPirit: Is it just me, or does this story seem to have more to do with memories than the last one?

Jack: It's not you...

Omi: About the memory...did that mean-?

dl-sPirit: Partly.

Jack:...Ok, now I'm officially freaked out.

Ferret: (in Detox) Review! You'll hear about the prophecy and potion soon! Yay!


	5. Escuro

dl-sPirit: Hiya, everyone! I'm in a good mood!

Jack: Why?

dl-sPirit: I've been going around, beating Wuya into a bloody pulp!...er, no offense, Wuya fans...

Omi: Ok...

Ferret: (out of Detox) Man, I have a killer headache.

dl-sPirit: Figures. -.- Oh, disclaimer! I only own Escuro. By the way, we meet him this chapter! (crickets chirp) Ok...onto the reviews!

_To SaphireStars_: Jack: What the heck is that?

_To firewu_: Ferret: In the final two chapters, not counting the epilouge, Jack plays his biggest role yet!

_To Kosmic_: dl-sPirit: Uh oh, sugar. (hides candy sugar sticks)

_To Kaisa/ Silver Satoshi Syoran_: Omi: More is here. Please read!

_To Rave Slave_: dl-sPirit: Good question. (thinks)

Omi: Here is the chapter! And where is Raimundo!

* * *

Hello. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Escuro. Yes, I am the dark half of the boy you know as Raimundo. Yes, I was the one who...taught Omi a lesson he won't forget. 

Before you begin attacking me, let me tell you something: unlike the other dragon spirits, I was in this boy at birth. I was awakened nearly five years ago. And, unlike Vento, I can survive without my other half.

Vento is the light half of Raimundo. He insists that he is Raimundo and I'm merely an intruder. Au contraire, my friend. Together, we are Raimundo. Alone, we're simply Vento and Escuro. And Vento belongs to me. As I showed him before, I can completely destroy a body. That 'memory' I sent him was truly a memory I once had, but edited. He doesn't know that.

As a matter of fact, I was the spirit of the very first were-dragon, Drago. That story is not just a legend. It's the damn truth. Five years after his curse, Drago died and I took possession of his body. When his body died, my spirit was released and rested for almost 2000 years. I know the exact location and status of every dragon spirit. Emo died five years ago. oh, yes, Necro just died. Now I am confident that Raimundo is the one destined to destroy humans. Until he becomes the half-dragon, I must surpress Vento and mold the boy into the strongest half-dragon alive.

(---)

Raimundo hardly noticed that he transformed. He hardly noticed that it wasn't the right time of month. All he noticed was the hunger pangs in his stomach. It was coming up on a week now that he hadn't eaten nor drank. He didn't realize that he should've been dead from dehydration or malnourishment.

_I need food,_ Raimundo thought, looking around Jack's lab from his cage. Then he saw it.

'It' was an apple, resting on the lab's table, about twenty feet away. Raimundo stared at it for a few minutes, wondering how he could get it. He groaned as he realized it was impossible. Now he wanted to strangle Jack so badly, for teasing him like this. Raimundo narrowed his eyes slightly, not noticing their sudden glow nor the fact that they were slowly turning from red to green.

Much to Raimundo's shock, the apple levitated and hovered over into reach. "Whoa..." Raimundo gasped as he reached out, picked up the apple, and began eating it.

_'Yes. Together, we can do quite a bit, can't we?'_ Escuro's voice asked, echoing in the brazilian's head. "Go away," Raimundo muttered before biting into the apple again.

_'Vento, you don't get it, do you?'_ Raimundo paused. "My name's not Vento! And, get what?' he asked.

_'Child, every dragon spirit has a special ability, based on their type of dragon. The 'European types' have superior 'breath attacks'. The 'Chinese types' can sense things no one else can. The 'North American type' can fly long distances without needing rest. The 'South American type' have highly acute senses. As for I, I have-'_

"Telekinesis?" Raimundo guessed. _'Exactly. And I can use my power to help you or to harm you,'_ Escuro's voice added. Raimundo then realized something and asked, "Shouldn't you be that 'South American type'? I mean-"

_'Yes, a dragon's spirit is supposed to match the personality of its human host. But I am not like the other dragon spirits. Did you know that Necro, the one who bit you, died today?'_ Now Raimundo was shocked beyond belief. Escuro continued, _'You are only days away from your greatest transformation. Then you will be the strongest creature ever alive. Not even Wuya or Dashi could compare to the power you will gain.'_

Raimundo paused. Power...wasn't that partly why he had joined the Heylin side? Though he had mainly joined because Wuya promised to make him normal, hadn't there been that tiny voice that said, 'Join the Heyln side and gain power beyond your wildest dreams'? The brazilian guessed that the voice had been Escuro's. But he clearly remembered when he had joined the Heylin side. He had gotten everything he wanted, save one thing.

"I don't want power, I don't want you in me. I want my friends, and I wanna be normal," Raimundo muttered. To his disbelief, he heard Escuro chuckle,_ 'Raimundo, do you honestly believe that it's that simple? You have to transform. And, once you do, you'll belong to me...for eternity.'_

Escuro smirked as Raimundo sat in the cage, at a loss for words, for the first time ever.

* * *

Ferret: Scary... 

Omi: I agree!

Jack: Is it just me or does Escuro sound...familiar?

dl-spirit: He's sorta like this cartoon character. I didn't even notice until I finished the chapter!

Omi: Which one?

Ferret: I know! Remember that showshe watch, the one with the kid and two fairies? Remember the episode with those Anti's?

Jack: Oh yeah. He sounds a bitlike the guy with the british accent.

Omi: I still have no clue what you're talking about, but I wil not let it bother me! Please review! And, at this point, dl-sPirit will begin taking suggestions!


	6. Starting the Quest

Ferret: Hey, guys! dl-sPirit isn't here, she's scared for her life, so I'm taking over!

Omi: Why is that?

Ferret: I'm her pet, and she got a threatening review.

Jack: Oh. And disclaimer, see last chapter, ok?

Omi: Onto the reviews!

_To Kaisa_: Ferret: She's trying as hard as she can, but she's got a nasty case of writer's block; thus, the note reading, 'I'll take any suggestions'

_To Kosmic_: Jack: No wonder she ran...

_To SaphireStars_: Omi: The authoress did not know that. She will try her hardest to not go under the line.

Jack: Over the line.

Omi: That too!

_To Naomi_: Ferret: I'll say! But his dark half is 10 times stronger than his good half!

Jack, Omi, and Ferret: (eats cookies) Enjoy this!

* * *

Clay sighed as he and the others were flying on Dojo's back. When Necro had began spilling everything, Dojo had politely requested if he cdould write it down, and he did. They had the prophecy, which chilled everyone to the bone, and the potion, which had the ingredients listed as riddles. Necro did help them with one - the ingedient listed as '1 cup of blood from the giver'. He explained that it meant, '1 cup of blood from the half-dragon who spread the curse' - which was him. But, only minutes after he had given them his blood, he went into convulsions and died. Now they had to figure out the rest of it. 

"Clay, what else will we need to help Raimundo?" Omi asked. He held the container of blood which, oddly enough, was blue. Clay looked over the list. "I pint of dragon's blood, a scale from the man-drake. 3 leaves from the shade of black night, a flower of cuckoo, and the Moon's Amulet," he read. At 'dragon's blood', everyone looked at Dojo. "What? I don't think it mean a real dragon!" he exclaimed. Kimiko sighed, saying, "Dojo's right. It's a riddle. There must be something else called dragon blood."

"Wait, we have one of those ingredients!" Omi cried. He pulled something out of his robe and showed it to the others. They recognized it as the scale Master Fung had given to them when Raimundo's dragon form had been first sighted at the temple. "Raimundo's a were-dragon...or, as they put it, a man-drake!"

"Great! Two down, four to go!" Kimiko exclaimed before going back to the prophecy. She couldn't help but to feel sorry for Raimundo with this. It read:

_When the last weredrake is left,  
Rebellious he will be,  
Unlike the rest of his kind,  
And he shall live for an eternity.  
Magical beasts resurrected,  
Humans dead or infected,  
He shall rule above all,  
The most powerful being on Earth.  
The darkness will rise,  
And the light shall fall,  
He will rule alone from there on,  
And thse who oppose wil die.  
The day will come when humans are forgotten,  
And peace shall come at last,  
When the remaining traces are no longer,  
Paradise will rule again._

Kimiko sighed. With this kind of fate, was it no wonder his room was so dark? Necro had said that all were-dragons had knowledge of the prophecy. They needed to solve those riddles. Or everyone would suffer.

"Um...Kimiko? What do you ya supposeabout thedragon's blood?" Clay asked interrupting her thoughts. Kimiko then remembered something. Raimundo had given her a couple of websites about forensics, after he had gotten her hooked on the show.

"Dragon's blood...it'ssap from a Malaysian palm tree,"Kimiko blurted. Everyone stared at her, and Omi inquired, "How did you know that?"

"I'm into forensics. They canuse it as fingerprint powder," Kimiko explained(A/N: hopefully, you get that they turn it intopowder first).

"Next stop, Malaysia!" Dojo exlaimed as they changed directions.

* * *

Omi: WHHEEEEEEE! (runs around in circles)

Jack: Wow. (faints)

Ferret: Boy, did we eat too many cookies! Oo, pretty colors!

Omi: Be goofy! (collapses)

Ferret: COOKIE! (cases after an imaginary cookie) Come back! Come back! Come baaaaack!


	7. A Slight Problem

dl-sPirit: Hey everyone! I finally got over my writer's block! Yay! Oh, I got a package. (opens box) (Raimundo comes out)

Raimundo: Ow...

dl-sPirit: RAI! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! I HAD THE WORST CASE OF WRITER'S BLOCK!

Raimundo: Yeah. So...how'd you get over it?

dl-sPirit: My temporary muse helped, as did Kosmic's hammer, but most important...COMMERCIAL FOR SEASON 3 OF XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN! Which I don't own, by the way.

Raimundo: Good grief. Wait, where's everyone else? What temporary muse?

dl-sPirit: Remember those sugar sticks from Kosmic? Ferret found them and shared them with everyone else. I duct-taped them and shoved them in Detox. As for my temporary muse...(snaps fingers) (a green-haired fairy appears)

Cosmo: (pulls out notecard) I'm Cosmo! And I'm- (poofs up sign) -your fairy godmuse! Did I do that right?

Raimundo: Why is he here?

dl-sPirit: He was the only one left. Now, onto reviews.

_To Kosmic_: dl-sPirit: Hey, put me down!

_To firewu_: Raimundo: Ferret's just a little off - like Cosmo. Wait, she's have to be a LOT off to be like Cosmo.

_To SaphireStars_: Cosmo: She tries!

_To Kaisa_: dl-sPirit: Writer's block stinks. (groans) Well, I'll remember that!

_To Satishi Silver Syoran_: Raimundo: (grins) I'm incorrigible.

Cosmo: dl-sPirit says that the guys eating too much sugar is worse - and the prophecy is scary! Wah!

_To Rave Slave_: dl-sPirit: You seem to like my stories, don't you? And they'll go...if they want to live (grins evilly) (pulls out flashlight and begins laughing evilly) (flashlights die) Maybe I've been TOO evil lately.

_To DeafLizgon_: Cosmo: Thank you!

Raimundo: It is? I don't think dl-sPirit noticed...

dl-sPirit: I didn't. Well, here's the chapter!

* * *

Dojo circled over Malaysia, the warriors looking for their target for a few hours. Though hard to believe, they couldn't find a single Malaysian palm tree - that is, until spied the tree. 

"There's one!" he exclaimed, pointing at the broad-leafed tree. Dojo changed direction, landing in a clearing next to the palm tree. Joyfully, Omi jumped off and ran over - only to be repelled by an invisible force. He landed head-first by his friends. The young monk groaned, stating, "Ooh...I have a most painful ache between my ears. What happened?"

As if in response, a figure began to materialize. It was a young translucent boy. Around his ankle was a chain that went into the tree. Kimiko gulped slightly and asked, "Who are you?" She was going to ask 'What are you', but it seemed too rude. The boy gave a sorrowful smile before responding, "I have no name. I am the guardian spirit of this tree. I am not allowed to let anyone take the sap of this tree, nor can I leave."

"And...why is that?" Clay asked curiously. In reply, the figure beckoned then closer before holding up his chain and frowning. It was rather odd: though the spirit was, well, ghostly, and the chain was solid, he could pick it up and it stayed around his ankle. Omi examined the chain - from a distance.

"It does not appear to be very strong," he remarked. Kimiko, deciding that it would be easier to help the spirit rather than to find another tree, looked at the rusting chain. How long had the ghost been here? A century? Maybe two? She suddely remembered something from years at her papa's factory. "Guys, I have an idea," she whispered excitedly. Clay and Omi moved closer to hear better.

She started, " If we heat up the chain, then cool it down really quick, and then do it again-" "It can get weak enough to be smashed!" Clay finished. He was familiar with the technique. Omi, unsure of what they were talking about but getting the basic concept, nodded in agreement. Kimiko pulled out the Star Hanabi; Omi, the Orb of Tornami; and Clay, the Third-Arm Sash (A/N: never said they didn't bring any wu!).

Kimiko focused on the rustiest spot. "Star Hanabi, fire!" she yelled, aiming a fireball at the link. The flames turned the spot a glowing red-orange. She turned to Omi, who already aimed his wu and yelled, "Orb of Tornami, water!" A jet of ice-cold water shot out. Steam rose as the chain cooled down.

"Star Hanabi, fire!" The chain heated up.

"Orb of Tornami, water!" The chain cooled down.

"Third-Arm Sash, earth!" Clay hollered. The blue sash shot out at the weakeed link, turning into a gigantic stone fist as it did so. The chain, weakened and unable to take the force, snapped. The spirit stepped back, eyes filled with tears of joy. "Oh, hank you, thank you, thank you! I can finally rest in peace! Thank you! May you all be blessed!" he cried. And, with that said, both he and the chain vanished.

(---)

"Three down, three to go!" Dojo exlaimed as he took off. Omi looked at the swirling sap in its container.

"Yeah. I wonder what the Moon's Amulet is?" Kimiko wondered aloud.

"Hey, didn't you say Necro was really worried about it? Said the potion wouldn't work without it?" Clay inquired, direction his question to Dojo. Dojo though for a second before replying, "Yep. Said that if he had the Moon's Amulet, he would've been normal 135 years ago. Wonder why it's so important?" Omi's face lit up like a light bulb.

"I know!" he exclaimed, pulling the scroll of the shen-gong-wu out of Kimiko's bag. He opened it to a section and pointed to the heading: 'Amulet of the Moon'. Kimiko read the aloud, "Activates potions and maigc properties."

"Oh yeah, Dashi made it for a friend. She practiced magic...I wonder how she is," Dojo commented. Clay sighed, adding, " I hope it activates soon."

A stone-faced Omi replied, "Until then, we must solve the remaining riddles."

* * *

Cosmo:So much for it being easy...

Raimundo: I'll say.

dl-sPirit: Oh, survey! Which riddle should be solved next: the flower of cuckoo, or the leaves of the shade of black night?

Cosmo: Review, please!


	8. Flowers and Fish

dl-sPirit: Sorry that it's taking me so long. I have school, writer's block, an annoying brother...but this isn't about me. Anyhow, Omi, Jack, and Ferret escaped. If you see them, will you please let me know?

Cosmo: And if you don't, let her know:)

Raimundo: (sighs) What an idiot. Well, disclaimer: dl-sPirit doesn't own Xiaolin Showdown.

Cosmo: If she did, she says Season 3 would be already up!

dl-sPirit: Right on, my little friend. Now, reviews...oh, and by the way: the next riddle solved is...the flower of cuckoo! Yay! (crickets) Uh, reviews.

_To Kosmic_: dl-sPirit: Thanks for voting...and, uh, thanks. (blushes)

Raimundo: dl-sPirit has a boyfriend!

dl-sPirit: NO I DON'T!

_To DeafLizgon_: Cosmo: (reading from a notecard) dl-sPirit says thank you. And I'm from...Far...Fairy...

Raimundo: He's from the show 'Fairly Odd Parents'. Like dl-sPirit says, he's just a substitute.

dl-sPirit: Though I may keep him around...

Raimundo and Cosmo: WHAT?

_To firewu_: Raimundo: Hey, Jack'll come back soon. After all, the others have to get a wu and break into his lair.

_To Rave Slave_: Cosmo: Me too...

_To Kaisa_: dl-sPirit: You saw the commercials too? Yay! But you can't update _Gusts of Wind_?...need alone time! (runs off crying)

Cosmo: (reading from notecard) Thank you for voting.

_To Elemental-Zero_: Raimundo: What, you want me to suffer more? I'm gonna go insane, the walls of my room are splattered with blood. (growls) (pauses) And, dl-sPirit wants to know when you'll update your story.

_To Ginny-cry_: Cosmo: Thanks!

Raimundo: Here's the chapter. Now, I'm gonna go get dl-spirit...

"I figured out the next riddle! The flower of cuckoo - it's just another way of saying cuckoo flower!"

Omi's sudden yell awoke Kimiko and Clay. They had landed in Tibet to rest and for Dojo to recharge before he went out of whack again. Kimiko was about to yell at the young monk when his words sunk in. Clay inquired, "The cuckoo flower? Where's that?" Omi's face fell. He only knew of the plant's name. Other than that, he knew nothing of the plant.

"The cuckoo flower?" Dojo's voice asked, interrupting their thoughts. The green dragon continued, "We've got a whole lot of them in the swamp near the temple. I remember Master Fung always complaining because-" He was cut off by Kimiko saying, "If you know where some are, let's go!" Dojo stuttered before finally nodding his head in agreement. Supersizing, the three warriors hopped onto Dojo's back. Kimiko felt a sudden pain in the back of her head and groaned lightly.

"What is it Kimiko? Are you alright?" Omi asked. Kimiko smiled at him and replied, "I'm ok." _But Rai isn't_, she added mentally. Little did she know how right she was.

(---)

"Cut it out!" Raimundo yelled, trying to cover his ears. The voices echoed in his ears...his father's last screams, his mother's yells, his own cries as Necro attacked him and ruined his life, The groans of his friends when Wuya tried to crush them into oblivion - it all hurt. "Make it stop!"

'_Now, now, Vento, why? We haven't even reached the best part,'_ Escuro's voice replied, echoing in his mind. Raimundo could almost see the smirk on his face and this angered him. Almost immediately, the voices got louder. "STOP IT!" Escuro only smirked. It was going all so well. Jack and Wuya had only increased the boy's anger and hatred, and it was on that foundation that Vento's resistance could be weakened.

It was perfect.

(---)

It was horrible.

There was a small island of cuckoo flowers in a large lake in the swamp. In the water were several pike. No one could get within three feet of the lake without one leaping out and attempting to take a good portion of flesh with them.

"This is a most frustrating problem. How can we hope to get past these most vicious opponents?" Omi asked. Dojo shrugged, saying, "I tried to warn you. They've been here forever. As far as I know, they can't be removed."

Kimiko paced around. The pain in the back of her head had just returned, only sharper. Raimundo needed them. And they couldn't help him without getting past these damn fish!Meanwhile, Omiwatched the fish. Anything that moved above the water seemed to be a target for them. They had already tried using the Third-Arm Sash, but it was too far away.

Wait. What if they trapped them? A plan formed in his head. "My friends, I have the answer!" he exclaimed. Clay, Kimiko, and Dojo looked at him dubiously. "Clay, may I borrow the Third-Arm Sash?"

(---)

The pike blinked at the glinting object above the water. Moving every five seconds, it caught their attention. They moved in to kill whatever it was.

(---)

On the shore, Omi, who had the Third-Arm Sash, saw the pike gather underneath. "Now, Clay!" he yelled.

"Seismic Kick, Earth!" Clay yelled, throwing a kick onto the ground. Almost instantly, walls of earth rose up in the pond, around the pike, creating a formation like a bowl. The pike tried leaping out, but to no avail; the walls were too high.

Dojo went into the water and transformed into a boat (A/N: Think Tangled Web/ Scream of the Siren). With a large grin, everyone boarded and Dojo sailed over to the island.

(---)

"Well, we've only got one riddle left: the shade of black night," Kimiko remarked happily, "And I think it'll be easy. I mean, sounds like the cuckoo flower one." Omi, who now held half of a flower, along with the other ingredients, and Dojo, who was flying them around, nodded. Clay looked at the riddle.

"Well, if you're right...it's black nightshade...that can't be good," he said. Everyone stared at him.

"How is that not good?" Omi asked.

"Well...it's poisonous. And I know where to find it," Clay replied slowly. Kimiko hugged him. Though the plant was poisonous, they would know where to go. What could possibly go wrong?

Cosmo: I don't like the sound of that...(whimpers)

Raimundo: Neither do I.

dl-sPirit: Hey, nothing bad can happen...

Cosmo: Or CAN it?

Raimundo: Man, you two are weird. Well, I'm gonna-

Escuro: Why, hello.

Raimundo, Cosmo, and dl-sPirit: GAAAAHHHH! (runs away)


	9. Operation Nightshade

dl-sPirit: This is the correct 'Operation Nightshade'. Read, review, and enjoy.

_

* * *

The young boy Raimundo was walking to his "teacher's" trailer, carrying his schoolbooks. Like everyone else, he still had to be home-schooled. Unlike everyone else, he was taught by the ringmaster's wife, seeing how his mother kicked him out. Unfortunately, his new "home" was on the opposite side from the ringmaster's trailer, making it a ten minute trip. ut there were two problems that he always met along the way. And here they were now._

_"Hey look!" yelled one kid, "It's Raimundo! Stay away!" He laughed. His partner in crime, if you could call him that, added, "Be careful or he'll kill you!" They both laughed. Raimundo's temper flared._

_"Leave me alone," he hissed, unaware of his eyes flashing to a red-orange. The two bullies were aware of this and, in two seconds flat, were already running to their trailers. Raimundo chuckled before continuing on his way. It was about two minutes to his destination._

_Upon arriving, the ringmaster's wife said, "You can leave your books on the floor, they won't be necessary for this lesson." Raimundo, confused, obeyed her and went to sit down._

_"Raimundo, first, I need you to do a short assignment. Describe yourself in one word," the ringmaster's wife said. Raimundo stuttered. What was this about? Nonetheless, he thought for a few minutes in silnce before replying quietly, "A freak..." He looked at the floor._

_"Raimundo." His teacher's voice seemed harsh, and Raimundo looked up at her as she continued, "A freak is a word that people use for something that they don't understand. People can understand you, they just choose not to. You are not a freak." Strangely, this cheered Raimundo up._

_"Thanks," he said quietly. The ringmaster's wife gave him a small smile before saying, "Now, moving on..."_

--

That's the only good memory I'm left with I can't remember any others. Escuro's left me with the worst moments of my life. Now - Escuro, stop it! STOP IT!

(---)

Kimiko felt her headache return, even more intense, as she looked at the scene in front of her. They were in Texas, not too far from Clay's home. In front of them was an old shack, with a garden out back. According to Clay, the lady who lived here grew nightshade. Also, he and Jessie were convinced that she was a witch - she grew all sorts of odd plants. And (here's where everyone sighed) she protected them with her life - and a gun. As of yet, no one had managed to take one leaf of anything from her garden, much less three leaves of nightshade. It was going to take a miracle to pull off.

Noticing everyone's incredulous expressions, Clay shrugged and said simply, "Sorry, but she's the only one who has nighshade. Ev'ryone else kills theirs."

"She cannot be too unreasonable to help us," Omi decided. walking up to her front door. Clay, Kimiko and Dojo watched as an elderly lady opened the door, exchanged words with Omi, and then sent Omi flying over their heads. "...She may be too unreasonable," Omi admitted, crawling back (literally). Dojo, concerned, asked, "So how do we get those leaves?" Kimiko didn't know why, but, the way Dojo said that, he sounded like Raimundo.

"Yeah, we can't ask for them, and we can't take it tonight because the moon's full..." Kimiko trailed off, realizing something. "Do you know what say it'll be two days from now?" she asked. Everyone shook their heads no. Kimiko gave a groan of exasperation before answering, "It'll be Rai's fifteenth birthday - exactly five years after he was bitten."

"So, if we don't get the leaves tonight - " Clay started. " - then Raimundo will..." Omi could not bring himself to finish his sentence. They all knew how it ended: Raimundo would transform - permanently. Their silence was interrupted by Dojo.

"You know, if she's a witch, it's possible that she'll have heard of were-dragons. Dashi's witch friend, she worked with one. I think she was the one who invented the potion, but I know that her pal transformed before she could ever give it to her," Dojo mused. "Y'know, that gives me an idea," Clay started.

(--)

The elderly lady sat on her back porch in a antique rocking chair, looking at the night sky. She couldn't wait until her thyme finally sprouted. Then she could complete her latest potion.

Yes, she was, in fact, a witch. She studied all types of magic and knew every magical beast from A to Z. Unfortunately, she rarely had all the ingredients necessary for her work. it didn't help that, almost every week, some kid tried to take her plants. Looking down at her garden, she narrowed her eyes. And it looked like they were at it again.

Judging by the person's silhouette, it was that young boy who come by earlier that day, asking for nightshade. She had told him no - and apparently, the kid didn't take no for an answer. Picking up the shotgun that laid next to her chair, she took careful aim and fired.

The pellets soared over the boy's head, startling him and making him try to escape. Then, he tripped over a rock. If the lady could have, she would've 'sweatdropped'. Why did this kid want her nightshade so badly? She decided to ask him.

Putting down her shotgun and picking her cane up (for support), she walked over to the boy. He was getting up when she picked hin up by the collar of his robes. "Kid, mind tellin' me why you want my herbs?" she demanded. The boy shrugged to the best of his ability, replying, "I am most sorry, honorable stranger, but my friend-"

"Dared you?" she suggested angrily. The boy blinked a few times before responding, "No. My friend is a were-dragon." At this, the old lady's eyes grew wide - and she fainted.

(--)

Omi walked back happily to his waiting friends, a small bounce in his step. "Did ya get 'em?" Clay asked. Omi grinned and nodded, holding up the three poisonous leaves.

"Good job Omi," Kimiko said, hugging the young monk. Omi blushed, grinning more widely. "C'mon, kid, we better get back to the temple," Dojo added. Omi nodded and all three warriors got on Dojo. Then, Dojo took off, heading towards the Xiaolin Temple.

(--)

"Raimundo, will you shut up!" Jack yelled, walking into his evil lair. He had been peacefully sleeping when Raimundo's sudden cream had woken him up. "I'm gonna -" He stopped as Raimundo turned his head to him, snarling. His eyes glowed ever so slightly, and a stray Jack-bot levitated. Surrounded by a strange glow, the part hurled itself at Jack.

Jack gave his trademark girly screamed and ducked, narrowly dodging the metal missle. It continued on its path, hitting the wall behind him and making a very large hole. Jack gulped visibly as he began to walk back to his room, saying,

"Never mind."


	10. The Transformation

dl-sPirit: Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long! (is splatted by tomatoes) HEY!

Jack and Raimundo: (laughs)

Ferret and Omi: (pointing to Jack and Rai) They did it!

Cosmo:...I LIKE PIE!

dl-sPirit: o0 Uh-huh. (to Raimundo) Rai, you better not do this again! For that, you're doing disclaimer!

Raimundo: WHAT!

Omi: You must obey her!

Raimundo: (growls) dl-sPirit doesn't own Xiaolin Showdown.

Jack: Ok, onto the reviews!

_To Angelus-alvus_:Omi: Here is your update!

_To t-anonymous_: Raimundo: Yeah, it was. dl-sPirit says thank you. As for me, it's great to find another fan:)

_To Rave Slave_: Jack: Same here! I'm too scared of you!

_To Elemental-Zero_: Ferret: Thanks for updating and for the compliement! And, don't forget - we still have the swordfishes (laughs evilly)

Jack: That's a bad imitation of me!

Ferret: (glares)

_To firewu_: Omi: Your wait is over!

_To SaphireStars_: Cosmo: You're worse than my anti! (hides from SaphireStars)

To Kosmic: dl-sPirit: Thanks (blushes)

Raimundo: Aw, look, the two lovebirds!

dl-sPirit: That's it! You're beginning to annoy me!

Raimundo: (smirking) So?

dl-sPirit: FINE! COSMO, I WISH RAI WAS A FAIRY!

Rai, Jack, Omi, and Ferret: WHAT!

Cosmo: Done! (raises wand and grants wish) (Raimundo vanishes momentarily and reappears as a Butch Hartman-style fairy)

dl-sPirit and Jack: (laughs)

Ferret:...read this, while we try to calm down Rai.

* * *

Clay grinned as they met in the vault with the ingredients. Though they had all lied to Master Fung for why they needed the meditation cauldron, he couldn't help but feel good that they were gonna brew the potion now. Dojo was reading over the instructions while Clay, Kimiko, and Omi were taking out the ingredients: the dried leaves of the nightshade, the winkled petals of the cuckoo flower (A/N: That would happen), the newly-formed palm tree resin (A/N: It hardened), Rai's scale, and Necro's blood. 

"Ok, first thing we gotta do is grind up the 'dragon's blood' and scale. Then, we mix it with Necro's blood," Dojo directed, looking up momentarily. Clay obligingly ground up the scale and resin, using the Fist of Tebigong, and Kimiko, who used to cook a lot, mixed the powders and blood together perfectly. It fizzled for several minutes before the powders seemingly melted and fused with the blood. A bright green liquid now rested in the pot, creating heat from itslf, beginning to boil.

"Now, we put in the cuckoo flower and nightshade, and just let it steep for a few hours. Then we put it in the Amulet and we're done," Dojo finished, placing the instructions on the floor. Omi carefully placed the plants in - and realized something. "In the Amulet?" he questioned.

"Well, sure, it's hollow-" Dojo started. He was cut off as he began spazzing. "I don't believe it! The Amulet of the Moon just lit up!" he cried, unable to believe their luck. The others seemed to share the same attitude momentarily before Omi recovered and said, "Then we must leave at once! We have no time to dally or daise!"

"Dilly-dally?" Kimiko suggested as Dojo grew to full size. Omi gave her a confused look and replied, "That makes no sense at all."

(---)

Raimundo half-listened as Wuya screeched something about a new shen-gon-wu while Jack played a CD of his. Raimundo tuned them out, expecting Jack to come and let him out like he was a dog, merely to fight his friends over the shen-gon-wu. But, to him, it didn't matter. Nothing did. Maybe he'd lose on purpose, let Jack finish him off.

There was a door slamming, bring the brazilian out of his thought. Wait. They left...going after a wu...and left him behind? It didn't add up. Raimundo listened as Jack's last song, 'Letterbomb', faded out. Then, the next song came on. It was one he usually liked, but now wasn't the time for it.

_'I walk a lonely road,  
The only one I have ever known.  
Don't know where it goes,  
But it's home to me and I walk alone.'_

He knew this song by heart. It was something he could relate to so well, it frightened him. But it was true.

_'I walk this empty street On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams,  
Where the city sleeps,  
And I'm the only one and I walk alone._

_I walk alone,  
I walk alone._

_I walk alone,  
I walk a-'_

The song described him all too well. He alone had to carry the burden of knowing he was a monster. No one else could afford to know. That was why his father died, he learned the truth about his son. Dojo was spared because he was a dragon. But, it never ceased to confound Raimundo, why did Escuro choose to spare the circus? More importantly, his mom?

_'Vento, was it not obvious? They were of no threat to our existance. They feared us far too much to do anything,'_ Escuro replied, an I-know-something-you-don't tone in his voice. "I hate smug know-it-alls and psycho spirits, and that defines you," Raimundo retorted. _'That means you also hate yourself and Wuya, correct?'_ "Shut it."

_'My shadow's the only one that walks beside me.  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating.  
Sometimes, I wish someone out there will find me.  
Till then, I walk alone._

_Aah-ah, aah-ah, aah-ah, aaaah-ah,  
Aah-ah, aah-ah, aah-ah.'_

Raimundo was surprised when, for once, Escuro obeyed him. Trying to forget his darker half, he concentrated on the song. But it seemed to keep bringing his mind back to reality. Escuro, his 'shadow', was always with him, though he had never shown himself before. He wondered why his friends had not come to help him yet. They get in easily, right?

_'I'm walking down the line _

_That divides somewhere in my mind _

_On the borderline __Of the edge and where I walk alone.'_

Escuro, he knew, was doing everything possible to push him off the edge of sanity. Inside himself, he was divided. Though most of him had faith that his friends wiould come, there was a slowly-growing part of him that said, "They never liked you, so why would they come for you? They're happy that you're gone, they don't even remember you." In Raimundo's opinion, Escuro really got him screwed up.

_'Read between the lines _

_What's fucked up and everything's all right. _

_Check my vital signs __To know I'm still alive and I walk alone.'_

_I walk alone,  
I walk alone._

_I walk alone,  
I walk a-'_

_'Vento, child, do you know what today is?'_ the dark spirit asked, a hint of malevolence in his voice. Raimundo wanted to yell 'I'm not a child!' but he chose to, instead, shake his head no. It was true. He had lost track a while ago. It was impossible to tell what was day and night in his dingy prison. _'Let me give you a hint: Happy birthday, Vento,'_ Escuro sneered. Raimundo gasped.

_'My shadow's the only one that walks beside me.  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating.  
Sometimes, I wish someone out there will find me.  
Till then, I walk alone._

_Aah-ah, aah-ah, aah-ah, aaaah-ah,  
Aah-ah, aah-ah_

_I walk alone, I walk a-'_

Raimundo grit his teeth as waves of pain wracked his weak body. He could feel his form changing, dragon and human fusing together. The brazilian began shaking uncontrollably as Escuro began to take control. He didn't want to change, he just couldn't allow himself to!

But, there was that tiny part of him. It accepted the change, wanted it, and was beginning to poison the rest of him. He was changingly physically and mentally, he couldn't stop it. He gave one last piercing scream that echoed thoughout the empty house.

_'I walk this empty street On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams,  
Where the city sleeps,  
And I'm the only one and I walk a-'_

His final cry died down and his form fell to the ground, unmoving, eyes shut. All was silent. The transformation was complete.

_'My shadow's the only one that walks beside me.  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating.  
Sometimes, I wish someone out there will find me.  
Till then, I walk alone...'_

His eyes snapped open, but the familiar mischievous twinkle was gone, replaced by cold hatred. He slowly got up. As the song and the echoing scream faded, a new sound echoed thoughtout Jack's home: malicious, triumphant laughter...

* * *

Omi: Raimundo, are you ok? 

Raimundo: I'M SHORT! WHAT DO YOU THINK! (hears Jack and dl-sPirit still laughing) (growls)

Cosmo: (poofs up cheese and eats it with his feet)

Raimundo: How do you poof up stuff?

Ferret:...I'll go say hi to Kosmic.

Jack: (stops laughing) I'll go with you. (both go hide)

Cosmo: You just think 'I wish...' and the wand does the rest!

Raimundo: (thinking) I wish I had an axe. (Raimundo's wand turns into an axe) (grins darkly at me)

dl-sPirit: (stops laughing) HOLY CRAP! (runs)

Raimundo: GET BACK HERE! (chases after dl-sPirit)

Cosmo: THAT'S FUNNY! (points and laughs)

Omi: Please review! (laughs as, somewhere in the distance, dl-sPirit screams while running from Raimundo)


	11. Shoot the Moon

dl-sPirit: Sorry it took so long! But my new muses came, and Rai's - (is cut off as an axe narrowly misses her head) AH! RAI! RUN! (begins running)

Raimundo: Get back here!

dl-sPirit: No way! (sees Cosmo) COSMO! I WISH RAI WAS BACK TO NORMAL!

Cosmo: (very scared) Ok! (grants wish)

Raimundo: (turns back into his usual style, holding the axe) YES! (axe vanishes) NO! (falls to ground)

Ferret: Glad that's over. I'll do the disclaimer. dl-sPirit doesn't own Green Day (Rai forgot that last time!), she doesn't own Xiaolin Showdown, and she doesn't own the episodes that some of the lines came from.

Jack: (returns) YES! It's safe!

Omi: Now for the reviews!

_To Kosmic_: Raimundo: Even if I was still a fairy, dl-sPirit wouldn't let me. It'd ruin the story. -.- Stupid excuses...

_To firewu_: Ferret: Thank you!

_To SaphireStars_: dl-sPirit: It wouldn't fit into this fic, but I might do a follow-up one-shot on that song. You know, to tie up any loose ends.

_To Elemental-Zero_: Jack: Yeah, with friends like these, who needs enemies? (rolls eyes) Well, dl-Spirit doesn't even HAVE a stereo.

Omi: She has an alarm clock that plays DCs!

Jack: Cds.

_To Kaisa_: Raimundo: uh, thanks? (backs away) And, uh, sorry about your writer's block. dl-sPirit wants to help, but she's having trouble with just THIS one!

_To shadow/ Satoshi Silver Syoran/ BeyMistress05_: Cosmo: Here you go!

_To Chaseforever/ satoshi's friend_: Ferret: Thank you!

_To distant6_: dl-sPirit: Thanks...I think. Don't hunt me down, I have 400 daggers and I sleep with a sword under my pillow. AND I STICK TO MY DECISION!

Cosmo: What?

dl-sPirit: Never mind. Well, here's the chapter.

* * *

Kimiko looked around the forest that Dojo had brought them to. Her headache had vanished barely minutes ago - which worried her. She figured that it had been her connection to Rai, and someone had cut it off, but who? And how? More importantly, why? Unfortunately, she had to direct most of her attention to finding the Amulet of the Moon. Based on Dojo's description - star-shaped with a small pentagram on it, silver, hanging from a thin chain, hollow - in theory, it should've been easy to find. Much to everyone's dismay, the afternoon sun revealed nothing of the sort.

"Oh, this is most troubling," Omi lamented, "If we do not find the Amulet of the Moon, we will have let down Raimundo, Master Fung, and the entire universe! I do belive that about covers it."

"I'll say," Clay agreed, kicking a tree in frstration. The bad news was that the tree was hollow. The worse news was that the bark was unable to take the force of Clay's kick. Losing his balance, the texan fell through and landed on his face.

"Clay! Are you alright?" Omi asked, running over. Clay, pushing himself up, replied, "Yeah, lil' partner, I'm-" He stopped, giving a gasp of shock as he looked upwards. Hanging from a jagged piece of wood just below the top of the trunk was a silver star-shaped amulet on a thin silver chain. "I found it!" he cried.

"Thanks for the 411 on the wu, cowboy. Jack-bots, ATTACK!" ordered an all-too familiar voice. As the Jack-bots swooped down, Kimiko felt a sense of deja vu.

"Clay! Get the Amulet!" she shouted, smashing two Jack-bots. "Stop him!" Wuya commanded. Clay, thinking fast, pulled out a lasso and threw it around the Amulet. "Come along, lil' doggie!" he said, pulling hard and taking the Amulet off its resting place.

"Thorn of Thunderbolt!" Jack hollered, quickly pulling out the yellow shen-gon-wu and shooting a blast at Clay's rope. Of course, this caused the rope to be severed, and the Amulet seemingly hovered in midair for a second before falling. Clay jumped up to grab it. As he grabbed a point, the shen-gon-wu glowed. Jack had grabbed the chain as Clay touched it.

"Clay! I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! My Thorn of Thunderbolt against your Third-Arm Sash!" Jack quickly yelled. Clay groaned before replying, "Name your game." Out of all the shen-gon-wu Jack could've showdowned over, he chose **this** one?

"Hm...ah! Hide and Seek! This Amulet hides, and we gotta find it. First to find it wins!" Jack shot back, oblivious to Wuya smacking her face in exasperation. "I accept," Clay said simply. Throwing the shen-gon-wu up, they yelled, "Let's go! Xiaolin Showdown!"

Almost instantly, everything, even the sky changed. It had grown dark, with only the full moon as a source of illumination. The trees grew larger, sprouting jagged branches and plunging most of the area into shadows. Only a few patches of ground were illuminated by moonlight. Clay's clothes changed into his armor.

Wuya groaned, knowing how Jack would react to the lack of light. Though Jack grew frightened, he swallowed his fear. There was no way he was going home empty-handed! And, with neither one backing down, they both yelled, "Gong Yi Tempai!" And the Showdown began.

Jack immediately activated his helipack and flew up above the trees, beginning his search. Clay meanwhile was earthbound and had to run through the darkness, dodging the tree trunks. Theevil boygenius felt confident that he could win. After all, he could fly! But, just in case, Jack pressed a button on his watch and summoned three Jack-bots. "Don't care how you do it, just make him gone!" Jack commanded, referring to Clay. "Yes, sir," replied one, and the robots flew after Clay.

Kimiko couldn't stand it. Perhaps if she let Jack know...

"Jack! Do you honestly have **any** idea what's going on with Rai?" she called. The gothic boy paused.

"Um, yeah, he changes into a dragon," he retorted. Kimiko slapped her face in exasperation. Did Jack think that she didn't know that already?

"Jack Spicer! If Raimundo is not helped, then the entire world will be in danger!" Omi yelled. That caught Jack's attention well. Kimiko added, "If Rai isn't cured, we're all dead!"

Jack frowned, thinking, before he finally replied, "How do I know you're not lying? I'll take my chances."At this, Jack continued flying, and everyone sweatdropped.

_He's just goin' ta blow it off? ..I gotta find that Amulet! _Clay thought desperately, pausing in a clearing. Looking up, he found three Jack-bots flying at him. "Third-Arm Sash - Earth!" he yelled. The tiny arm shot out, morphing into a huge stone fist and smashed two of the Jack-bots. The third one kept coming. "Seismic Kick, Earth!" he hollered, sending a huge rock at the lone robot. This suceeded in destroying it.

The texan leaned against a tree, looking at the full moon. It seemed to taunt, him, reminding him of Raimundo's situation. Then, he saw something - a tiny silver point sticking out of the moon. _Wait a minute..._

"Third-Arm Sash - Earth!" he yelled once more. The stone fist shot skyward, and hit the moon dead-center. It exploded in a brilliant display of color and light, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. Something shiny fell from the explosion, and Clay had the Third-Arm Sash grab it. It was the amulet of the Moon.

In a bright glow, everything returned to normal, the way it was before the Showdown. The sun was still high in the sky. "Way to go Clay! That was so cool!" Kimiko cheered, running over.

"Clay, you fought very well. If our lives were not at stake, I would compliment you on your performance," Omi added as Dojo grew to his 40-foot length. Clay nodded, saying, "Yeah, let's get a move on." As they got onto the green dragon, they heard Wuya shriek, "You lost two more shen-gon-wu!"

"Relax, the next one's mine," Jack retorted, flying away, "But, for now... I'm getting a Happy Meal."

* * *

Jack: A HAPPY Meal? I eat at Burger King!

Ferret: I thought it was funny.

Omi: Oh, yes, when Clay blew up the moon, this was a reference to (looks at notecard) 'Luigi's Mansion'.

Cosmo: That's a game she likes!

dl-sPirit: Guys, I have a tiny problem...CHAPTER 9 IS MISSING! (cries)

Raimundo: Uh, yeah, Chapter 9 was replaced by Chapter 8 and dl-sPirit doesn't really have another copy of it.

Ferret: If you have a copy, please e-mail it to her.

Cosmo: (trying to comfort dl-sPirit) Till then, review!


	12. Lair of the Beast

dl-sPirit: (fending off angry reviewers) BACK! BACK I SAY! I HAVE THE UPDATE! (watches as reviews calm down some) Phew...

Raimundo: When will they stop?

Jack: I dunno. Wanna make a bet?

Raimundo: I bet 45 bucks they'll stop after this chapter.

Jack: You're on!

dl-sPirit: Great, they're making bets on my reviewers!

Omi: You only told them not to make bets on you...

Ferret: Go loophole!

dl-sPirit: (glares) Well, I'm doing disclaimer - I don't own Xiaolin Showdown. If I say otherwise, I'm lying or talking in my sleep.

Jack: (sniggers)

Cosmo: Do you want us to look at your reviews for you?

dl-sPirit: HECK YEAH!

Omi: Then let us look!

_To Chaseforever_: Jack: Thank you! And she updated! About four days later! Wow, a new world record.

Ferret: Yeah...

_To SaphireStars_: Raimundo: WHAT THE (censored)! COSMO I WISH THOSE SHARP POINTY OBJECTS WERE PILLOWS!

Cosmo: (entirely scared) GOT IT! (grants wish) Phew... oh yeah! Did you get dl-sPirit's review?

_To Kosmic_: Omi: Thank you for your words of... encouragement. I am most sorry about your home, person from the moon.

_To DeafLizgon_: Jack: Dunno if this is good or bad, but it wasn't the actual moon that clay blew up...

dl-sPirit: If you want, you can borrow the Amulet of the Moon and create a potion to cure Lobo of that whole 'crazy werewolf' thing.

_To Catwarrior_: dl-Spirit: I'm the person who only reads their work if they forget something. Thank you for reading both of my stories. And, uh... yeah, Escuro IS freaky.

_To Kaisa/ Angelus-alvus_: Omi: Here is your update!

_To Rave Slave_: Raimundo: I completely agree!

_To distant6_: Ferret: Blame writer's block!

Cosmo: And school! (reading from a notecard) 'dl-sPirit gave Kosmic her collection...long story.'

_To Satoshi Silver Syoran_: dl-sPirit: I rewrote my chapter as well as I could. It's up now. And, sorry, but i only have Yahoo. Sorry :(

Ferret: Enough talk, here's the chapter!

* * *

Kimiko shuddered as she entered Jack's house. They had stopped by the Xiaolin Temple to get the potion and fill up the Amulet and, now, they were going to find Raimundo. 

The house was cold, as if it was made of ice. Clay, as they walked, paused by a thermostat. It was set at 75 degrees fahrenheit - but was covered in a thin layer of frost. In fact, as they approached Jack's lair, everyone noticed the thin layer of frost. It covered the walls, a nightstand, a few lamps, and a door. Kimiko tried creating a fire, but the cold air kept it too small to heat them. Finally, they were in front of the basement door, the door to Jack's lair - and the lair of the beast.

As they entered, the dim illumination revealed a terrifying scene. The lab was in almost total ruins, with the large computer dismantled and several robots that were missing key components - such as their heads. With some, only their heads were left. Blood splatter covered the walls. And, in a corner, was a metal cage, devastated by some unknown power. "Raimundo," Omi gasped.

As the three warriors descended the stairs, Kimiko paused as she spied what appeared to be a statue. The creature was hard to make out, but it certainly looked like it was lunging at an invisible foe, the light gleaming off its bared fangs. She shivered and continued down. Yet, even as she did so, the jaw closed, and the "statue" looked at her.

By the time she had reached the bottom of the stairs, Omi and Clay were examining the ruined cage. Clay held up a black electrical collar, charred skin burned onto it. The collar and bars of the cage were bloodstained. "Do you think Rai's ok?" Kimiko asked, the Amulet hanging at her side. Clay sighed.

"Dunno, partner, he might've been..." Clay trailed off, as if he feared that, by saying it, it'd be true.

"NO!" Omi suddenly cried. "Raimundo cannot be dead, we cannot have failed him!" Omi wanted to say for sure that Raimundo was alive, but there wasn't even a body, and all that blood...it was hard to tell. Clay hated to say it, but he had to. "Partner, I wish I could say that, but we don't even know where he is."

Kimiko spied a movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw a shadowy figure dart away. "Uh, guys? We aren't alone," she squeaked. Omi, thinking of the possibilty that Raimundo was at least injured, declared defiantly, "If it is the monster that hurt Raimundo, we will not allow it to leave!" He began moving towards the doorway.

A horrific screech, the kind that makes you wish that you were deaf, echoed throughout the lair, and a creature leaped out at Omi. Clay, thinking fast, yelled, "Third-Arm Sash - Earth!" The rock-solid (A/N: Pardon the pun) sash hit its target, sending the beast into a wall, remaining in the shadows. Kimiko could tell that its eyes were closed, but it reopened its eyes immediately. Everyone saw the faint emerald glow they had taken. At the same time, robot parts levitated off the floor and bombarded Clay.

"Star Hanabi -Fire1" Kimiko hollered, throwing the flaming star at the creature. As the star traveled through the freezing air, the flames began to die down, and the creature grabbed the shen-gon-wu, which only radiated off steam now. He threw it back, and Kimiko ducked the spinning death trap.

"Orb of Tornami - Water!" Omi yelled, shooting a jet of cold water at the creature. It leaped up agilely, dodging the drenching attack, and landed on the lit table in the middle of the room, hind legs bent. The three warriors gasped at the monster.

It was some sort of dragon. Its hind legs were abnormally long, ending in three clawed toes. Its color was a deep blue, much like a deep ocean. Brown spiky spines began at the base of the skull, ran down its backbone, and ended at the tip of its tail.The wings, which were a part of its arms, were batlike. The webbing on them was pitch black. Its eyes were a deep green with catlike pupils, and its fangs stuck out over its lower lip. On its head was a three-pronged crest that was light green. Two of the 'prongs' were over the eyes, giving it a malevolent look, and the last one was on the center of the face. Shadows danced on its face, making its expression unreadable.

Kimiko gasped as the creature turned to her, bloodlust in its eyes. Then, without warning, it leaped at her, going in for the kill. "Orb of Tornami - Ice!" Omi shouted, a stream of ice shooting out. It froze the dragon in mid-leap. For a few seconds, the warriors believed themselves victorious. Them, much to their shock, the ice begin to crack, and it shattered, releasing the creature. It snarled at Omi before it jumped up. The dragon's wings flapped slowly, enough to keep it airborne, then it dived at Omi.

Omi gave a cry of horror and tried to move out of the dragon's path. Unfortunately, not being fast enough, the dragon slashed at Omi's head with the claws on it feet. Clay and Kimiko stood shocked as Omi fell to the ground, bleeding. The dragon landed, bending its legs. Kimiko and Clay got into their fighting stances. Then, the beast stood up.

The Dragon of Fire gasped lightly. The dragon was about seven feet tall, even though its neck was bent. Though the creature was revolting, it had an air of grace and elegance. A feeling ran through her, much like the feeling one gets when staring at a snake ready to strike.She seemed to have becomed paralyzed under its gaze. The creature saw this too and flew up. It seemed to be considering to attack. Then, it swooped down and grabbed her with its legs. Flying high, Kimiko screamed. She was going to die, she knew it.

This was the end. This creature would kill her, it had probably killed Raimundo... unless ...no...

At that moment, the dragon let go of her. The Dragon of Fire screamed again and, out of reflex, grabbed the dragon's left foot. The dragon gave a howl of fury and flew around, trying to make her let go. Clay and Omi (who had recovered already) wanted to desperately help their friend, but there was too much of a chance that they'd miss the dragon or, worse, hit Kimiko. Kimiko hung on for her life.

An invisible force began to pry off her fingers. She looked up, to see the dragon's eyes glowing. But that wasn't what she was looking for. Looking into the dragon's eyes, she finally found it. It was weak, but there.

"Raimundo?" she asked quietly. Omi and Clay gasped, and the dragon's eyes stopped glowing, giving her a strange look. "Raimundo, please don't," she pleaded, tears beginning to leak out of her eyes. She could see the inner turmoil that was tormenting him, threatening his own life. She remembered the one word scrawled in blood on his door. "Rai, we're here to help. We can make sure that Escuro will leave you alone," she whispered, closing her eyes, expecting the worst.

The worst never came. Raimundo gently lowered her to the ground before flying to a corner of the room, trying to get away as far as possible. He landed, letting his tears flow, hanging his head. He had attacked Omi. He almost killed Kimiko. And, worse yet, that twisted part of him and Escuro continued their mental torture.

_Finish me, please... I don't wanna live,_ he pleaded silently. Clay, Omi and Kimiko were exchanging glances, as if asking who would be the one to put the Amulet on their friend. finally, Kimiko walked over, holding the silver shen-gon-wu, and looked the brazilian right in the eye. Considering that she was about four and a half feet (A/N: I'm guessing) and he was seven feet, this wasn't too diificult.

"Raimundo, we need you to put this on," she explained, trying to prevent herself from crying. It was so hard though, he just looked so lost, so frightened. "Then, you'll be free," she finished. She lifted the Amulet to give it to Raimundo when-

"What the hell's going on down here!" a very familiar voice yelled. Everyone directed their attention to the top of the staircase. Standing there in all his glory was Jack Spicer, with Wuya floating beside him.

* * *

Omi: A cliffhanger!

Jack/Raimundo: Darn it!

Cosmo: I'm scared...

Ferret: Stupid Jack!

Jack: Hey!

dl-sPirit: I'll try to update soon. I'm so evil, a cliffhanger. :P

Raimundo: I'll say you are!

Omi: I agree!

Jack: Let's go on strike! (leaves with Raimundo and Omi)

Cosmo: This can't be good.

dl-sPirit: I'll say! Dang it!

Ferret: ...um, review please...


	13. Get that Amulet!

dl-spirit: Uh, hey guys...I'm back...(dodges tomatoes) I'm sorry! But only Cosmo helped me! Ferret's been trying to persuade Raimundo, Jack, and Omi back!

(in bar)

Jack: Did she believe you?

Ferret: You bet she did!

Omi: Tender of Bar, may I have some more soda please?

Raimundo: Let's hear it for guillible people! (laughs)

(back to dl-sPirit)

dl-sPirit: Ok...this chapter isn't very good, and the next chapter is the last one.

Cosmo: Disclaimer! dl-sPirit only owns (reading ftom notecard) Escuro and the Amulet!

dl-sPirit: Ok, reviews...

_To Chaseforever_: Cosmo: She is!

_To SaphireStars/ DeafLizgon_: dl-sPirit: Thank you! (blushes)

_To Catwarrior_: dl-sPirit: Ferret's my pet, and Cosmo, well, I felt sorry for the little guy. And - you LOVE cliffhangers? O.O

_To Kosmic_: Cosmo: I'll go tell them! (poofs away)

_Elemental-Zero_: dl-sPirit: You better, or you'll feel the wrath of my SWORDFISHES! MUWAHAHAHA!

_To Rave Slave_: dl-sPirit: I think you'll like the next chapter.

_To Angelus -alvus_: dl-sPirit: I am!

dl-sPirit: Now, on with the chapter...

* * *

Jack looked at the scene in his evil lair: Clay, Dojo. and Omi seemed stunned at his arrival; Kimiko seemed very scared and nervous, Amulet dangling from her hand; the dragon right next to her (Raimundo, he assumed) seemed to have froze up. 

The gothic boy was already upset. His house was covered in frost, and now the Xiaolin Dragons had broken into his house. Plus, Wuya had yelled at him most of the night. "Guard-bots, destroy the intruders!" he demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the warriors. His slightly stronger robots appeared from nowhere, but they were... different. Different meaning that arms had been ripped off, heads slashed open, and metal panels gone. Nonetheless, they obeyed the command and began shooting at the warriors.

The warriors (except for Raimundo) snapped out of their shock and jumped to dodge the attacks. Jack noticed, hanging from Kimiko's hand, was the Amulet of the Moon. "Get that shen-gon-wu!" Wuya shrieked. Jack glared at her, saying, " I give the orders around here!" He took a deep breath and yelled, "Get the shen-gn-wu from Kimiko!" Almost immediately, half of the Goard-bots changed course, heading for Kimiko.

"Jhudallet Flip - Fire!" she yelled, summoning fireballs to defend herself. She shot a glance to Raimundo. He seemed to be paralyed; he wasn't even blinking. This wasn't good. They barely had minutes before Raimundo would transform for good. Suddenly, se felt something grab her legs, and swore mentally. The second she lost her focus, she was caught. "Clay! Catch!" she yelled, throwing the Amulet to the cowboy, just as she was completely restrained.

"Third-Arm Sash!" Clay yelled, using his shen-gon-wu to catch the Amulet. The little arm shot out, catching the Amulet. "No, that's cheating!" Jack whined, leaping down. Wuya floated over to Raimundo. Judging by his expression, nobody was home. Dojo, wanting to help, grew to his forty-foot length and began helping the other two warriors. Jack, very angry, raised a certain shen-gon-wu and yelled, "Sphere of Yun!" An invisible barrier surrounded the large dragon, preventing him from helping anymore. Jack aimed the Sphre of Yun at Clay now.

"Omi!" Clay yelled, catching the young monk's attention. The Third-Arm Sash catapulted the shen-gon-wu in his direction just as Jack yelled, "Sphere of Yun!" and captured the Texan. Omi jumped up and caught the Amulet in midair. He landed on his feet and assessed the situation: the remaining Guard-bots were after him, all of his comrades but Raimundo were captured. He was the only one left. He silently prayed that Dashi would aid him now and ran towards Raimundo.

"Guard-bots, STOP HIM!" Jack yelled. His tone clearly implied, 'If you don't, you'll be scrap'. The Gurad-bots quickly caught up to the young monk. Outnumbering him, they grabbed and restrained him and carried him over to Jack. Jack noticed something. "Hey, where's the Amulet?" The young monk merely smiled.

Omi's smile was wiped off his face as a clock distantly chime and a scream of pain was heard. Everyone turned their attention to its source. Raimundo was on all fours, a bit of smoke rising from his body. The Xiaolin warriors and Dojo waited with bated breath, needing to know the fate of their friend. Jack and Wuya watched with morbid inteest. Was Raimundo a dragon or a human now?

Then, it happened.

* * *

dl-sPirit: Yes, another cliffie. Yes I'm evil. (looks at clock) It's been an hour.I wonder when Cosmo will be back?

(at the bar)

Raimundo: Another drink for my friend!

Cosmo: YAY!

Jack: Dude, maybe he's been getting TOO much chocolate milk.

Ferret: There's no such thing!

Omi: Yes, this milk made with chocolate is most delightful!

Raimundo: Let's hear it for chocolate!

Cosmo: Yay for chocolate!

(back at the story)

dl-sPirit: I'll try to finish by Halloween. If not, you may kill me - figuratively. Please review! (walks off)


	14. Going Home

dl-sPirit: (walks in) First of all, it's Halloween where I am, so Happy Halloween! If you like Jack, leave now! I finally finished thischapter for you guys, but my muses are still-

(There's a POOF and Raimundo, Jack, Omi, Cosmo, and Ferret appear)

dl-sPirit: -Missing? Where were you guys!

Cosmo: At a-

Raimundo: (slaps hand over Cosmo's mouth) We got, uh, lost on the way back.

dl-sPirit: Fine, one of you can do the disclaimer.

Omi: dl-sPirit does not own Xiaolin Showdown. But, Raimundo-

Jack: (slaps hand over Omi's mouth) -is right. We won't get lost again.

Ferret: (nervously) We'll get the reviews for you!

_To SaphireStars_: Raimundo: Uh...well, I guess it's a little late to give you dl-sPrit's present.

Jack: (comes out with a huge box with air holes) Ok, he's bound and gagged.

Raimundo: Good. (to SaphireStars) As a 'gift', dl-sPirit's giving you Escuro!

_To Kosmic_: Omi: Uh... thank you! (nods and smiles)

_To BeyMistress05_: Ferret: She is!

_To Rave Slave/ Angelus -alvus/ clara200_: Cosmo: Thanks!

_To DeafLizgon_: Raimundo: Hey Khu! And, Liz, here's more, now stop bouncing, we don't have any more aspirin!

_To distant6_: Jack: Hey, no fair! (sniffles) You're mean! (recomposes self) Well, it looks like we'll find out...

_To Satoshi Silver Syoran_: Ferret: She's insane, that's why.

_To Anonymous_: Jack: She's evil like that. (shrugs)

_To Catwarrior_: Omi: Please calm down.

_To Elemental-Zero_: Ferret: She writes a lot.

Jack: Viruses? o0 Sure...

dl-sPirit: Italics indicate a diary entry. Here's the final chapter!

* * *

Then, it happened. 

The bat-like wings vanished back into Raimundo's arms, as the tail vanished into his body. Blue scales transformed into tan skin (and ragged Xiaolin robes). The snout pushed itself back into his face., and the crest turned into brown spiky hair. His body shortened to his normal size. Raimundo was human.

"But- wha- he- I- " Jack stuttered as Raimundo pushed himself up. The brazilian looked down at his chest where, next to his golden medallion, the Amulet of the Moon hung. The other warriors exchanged grins. Obviously, when Omi realized Jack would capture him, he had thrown the shen-gon-wu to Raimundo, who somehow managed snap out of his paralysis and put it on.

" Jack. You're. Gonna. Pay." Raimundo's tone became more dangerous with each word. "TYPHOON BOOM - WIND!" He shot a gust of wind at the Jack-bots that held Kimiko prisoner. Half of them exploded on contact with his attack, leaving Kimiko to destroy the rest. Omi, noticing that his captors were distracted and seizing the opprotunity, yelled, "Tornado Strike - Water!" The wave of water washed away the robots, allowing Omi to help his other two comrades. Pulling out a familiar shen-gn-wu, he pointed it at the spheres containing Dojo and Clay and yelled, "Reversing Mirror!" The spheres shattered in hundreds of tiny shards, allowing his friends to also feel freedom.

Raimundo swayed slightly, weak from the long month of a living hell. Yet, when he saw Jack and Wuya try to escape, he felt his weakness leave - and his rage rise. With a bloodcurdling cry, he leaped at Jack. Jack released his trademark girly scream and tried to get out of the way, failing miserably. Though Wuya flew out of danger by going through a wall, the gothic boy was left to the mercy of the brazilian's wrath. For the second time that night, the warriors exchanged glances with each other before Kimiko slowly approached Raimundo and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Raimundo paused and turned around to face her. Kimiko supressed a gasp. He looked something like a living skeleton, and only pure rage could be seen in his forest green eyes, which both worried and scared her. "Rai," she started, "it's ok. You're free now. We can take you-" He stopped. well, sure Rio de Janeiro didn't seem like much of a home to him, but that didn't mean he considered the temple his home. Raimundo, as if sensing the reason for her hesitancy, finished for her: "Home."

"Rai, let's go home, please?" Kimiko pleaded. Enough people had been hurt. She looked from Raimundo to the battered Jack. Raimundo paused, as if thinking, then gave jack a kick in his crotch. Jack winced, squeaking. The brazilian smiled lightly, his revenge complete. "Let's go." The four warriors walked out of the evil lair. Clay noted that Raimundo actually seemed very shocked as they walked through the house, looking at the frost coating.

Once outside, Dojo, who had shrunk to his four-foot form to fit through the house, grew back to his forty-foot length. One by one, each of the warriors boarded the green dragon. Raimundo, unnaturally silent, boarded last, and Dojo flew nto the night sky.

(---)

The way back was silent. Raimundo just seemed depressed, and no one knew what to say. Finally, after a half-hour in the pressing silence, Kimiko decided to ask Raimundo a question that had been on her mind ever since they had begun the trip back to the temple.

"Rai, how'd you get the Amulet on, when, you know..." Kimiko began. She didn't know how to put the next part. Luckily, the brazilian solved her problem. "When Escuro wouldn't let me move," he finished bluntly. Everyone looked at him as he continued, "When Omi threw me the Amulet, I only caught it on reflex. Escuro made sure to prevent any way for me to actually put it on. Then-" He gulped nervously. "-he -he said he wanted a queen for when he took control and everything...he was gonna infect you Kimiko... turn you into a half-dragon too." He looked downwards.

There was no reply for the next several minutes; the idea had shocked them into silence. "Rai, what Escuro did or wanted wasn't your fault. Don't beat yourself up for it," Kimiko told the brazilian. It was somewhat strange: Escuro's idea had given Raimundo the willpower to put the Amulet on. He was responsible for his own downfall. She added, "You're free now, and nothing will change that."

Raimundo gave her a small grin. "Thanks, Kim."

(---)

_Dear Diary,_

_It's me, Kimiko again. It's been a couple of weeks since we got Rai back. He's been quieter than usual but, then again, he hasn't completely recovered. He's still a little nervous when he hears things we don't. Also, we learned a little something: unless you want to see Rai freak out, do NOT talk to him when he can't see you._

_But there's some good news. Jack's too scared to get in five feet of Rai. Plus, he's eating normally now, and we're all a little closer. Me and Rai are even closer to each other than anyone else - but we aren't dating yet. Maybe we will, maybe we won't. Everything's back to normal._

_Well, almost._

_No one can really explain, but Raimundo still becomes a dragon on the half moons. We know because we were playing our nightly game of Texas Hold'em and Rai suddenly morphed. His theory is that the amulet destroyed Escuro - not his dragon form. Of course, we were worried at first, but we learned he can't spread the curse without Escuro, so we're cool._

_It's weird in a way. Though most of Rai's new were-dragon form is a lot like his first one (with the exception that his wings are now striped with light blue and pale green), there's a difference. Instead of the spiky head and orange eyes, he now has a crest like Escuro's and green eyes. But, it gives him a stronger look, like, 'Hey, I overcame my darker half!'_

_When I look out a window some nights, I can see the sillhouette of a dragon. It reminds me of the hardest quest we've ever done. It reminds me of the power of our friendship. But, more importantly, it reminds me of freedom._

_

* * *

_Raimundo: YES! I beat up Jack! 

Omi: We are victorious!

Jack: No fair!

dl-sPirit: Ok, I need to let you know - there will be some changes in my muse staff. Ferret's resigning.

Ferret: Blame the new muses! It's a living freakshow!

dl-sPirit: And, due to certain complications, Jack and Omi - you're fired.

Jack/Omi: WHAT? WHY?

dl-sPirit: (sarcastically)Let's see, twice a week Chase comes, takes, Omi, and Jack follows him. Gee, I have absolutely NO reason why.

Jack/Omi:...

dl-sPirit: If you want either of these two, e-mail me. Here are cookies for everyone who faithfully reviewed my stories. (hands out cookies) And, now, please review one last time!


End file.
